October 27, 1938 – April 25, 2016
Rolly slipped away peacefully at home just before sunrise on the morning of April 25. Rolly had been diagnosed with a bone marrow disease (MDS) four and a half years ago which eventually evolved into acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Rolly was truly inspirational for his family with his consistent positive attitude. He was stoic and brave through his illness. He had repeatedly stated that he never did feel ill. On April 15, he was admitted to hospital with an infection. He came home a week later to spend his last days with his wife, Liz and son, Steven.
Rolly was born and raised in Saint-John, New Brunswick. He moved to Montreal as a young man when he was hired as a technician by Canadian Pacific Telecommunications, where he found the love of his life. He married Liz and they started a family. Rolly joined the Royal Bank of Canada as a systems analyst, and after a couple of years, his job was transferred to Toronto. They lived in Oakville for 23 years. He retired in 2003 and together, he and Liz moved to the Sunshine Coast to be closer to their sons. The couple enjoyed almost 43 wonderful years together.
Rolly enjoyed photography, travelling, dancing and music, history, and was an avid reader. He was a highly skilled craftsman who created many unique and beautiful objects through a storied lifetime of carpentry, cabinetry, creating some fine furniture pieces and worked on many home improvement projects. He spent many hours in his workshop building a Danish wooden, three-masted, 70-gun model ship that fed his creative passion for over four decades. Rolly volunteered at the Auxiliary’s Loan Cupboard for a few years, until he started treatment for his illness.
Everyone who met and got to know Rolly found him to be a kind, gentle, interesting and intelligent man who was always easy to laugh with.
Rolly is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, sons, Mark (Deanna and stepdaughters Crystal and Keira), and Steven (Shauna and children, Eden, Kyla, Rowan and Ivy), three brothers in New-Brunswick: Dennis, David and Glen, and many nieces, in-laws, and friends, who will all miss him.
Rolly felt he could not adequately express his gratitude to Dr. Wadge. Without her leadership, selflessness, and dedication, cancer patients would have to travel to Vancouver for chemotherapy. He said she gave him the greatest gift ever: extra time to enjoy some travel, visit with family back east, and share in the joy of seeing the arrival, growth and development of precious grandkids. Sincere thanks to Dr. MacDowell, as well as the wonderful nurses and staff at ACU at Sechelt Hospital, who all provided dedicated and excellent care over the years. Nurse Terry and healthcare worker Joy stood out as they went out of their way to make Rolly comfortable during his hospital stay. We are also very grateful to Jill from Home Care Services who was so wonderfully helpful during Rolly’s last few days.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, May 21 at 2:00 pm at the Port Stalashen Clubhouse at the foot of Field Road in Wilson Creek.
In lieu of flowers, please encourage your family and friends to donate blood.